The federal government has renewed its call on state governments to phase out the use of wooden boats across the country’s waterways, warning that they are unsafe, outdated, and a major contributor to recurring boat accidents.
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, made the appeal in a statement issued to commiserate with the victims and families affected by the recent Shagari boat tragedy in Sokoto State, which resulted in multiple fatalities.
According to him, the continuous reliance on wooden boats, many of which are built without proper safety standards, is a recipe for disaster.
“Wooden boats may have served their purpose in the past, but in today’s realities they represent danger, not safety. Their structural weaknesses make them unfit for modern commercial operations, particularly when subjected to overloading,” Oyetola said.
The Minister explained that while the Federal Government had distributed 3,500 life jackets to each riverine state as part of ongoing safety interventions, these measures could not fully protect passengers if the vessels themselves remained substandard.
“Life jackets are critical, and we have supplied them in thousands, but they cannot guarantee safety without safe vessels. Fibre and aluminium boats are sturdier, more durable, and are recognized globally as the standard for inland and coastal water transportation,” he stated.
Oyetola further stressed that states with large riverine populations must treat investment in safer boats as both urgent and strategic. He noted that modernizing the nation’s waterways would not only prevent needless tragedies but also stimulate commerce, tourism, and reliable transport services.
“This is the seed we must sow today to secure a safer and more prosperous tomorrow. The lives of our people are too precious to continue risking them on outdated vessels when safer alternatives are readily available,”
